This invention relates to catheters for draining fluid from a body cavity or for infusing medication into a body cavity. Particularly, this invention relates to a drainage/infusion catheter which forms multiple loops within the cavity to preclude inadvertent withdrawal of the catheter.
The use of catheters for draining excess or infected body fluids from a body cavity or for infusing medication into a body cavity is well known. One use of the catheter is to drain excess fluid. For example, the catheter can be used to drain urine from the kidney when there is an obstruction in the ureter. Another use of the catheter is to drain fluid from an infected collection. For example, the catheter can be used to drain pus from an abdominal abscess. Inserting a drainage catheter into a body cavity is done with the aid of an insertion tool, such as a stiffening cannula. Once in position, the flexible distal portion at the end of the catheter is altered to essentially maintain the flexible distal portion within the cavity and, in turn, to preclude inadvertent removal of the catheter from the body cavity. Excess or infected fluid enters a port or hole in the tubular member of the catheter and is withdrawn from the cavity by aspiration or gravity.
To prevent the catheters from being inadvertently removed during use, it is known to provide a mechanism for imparting a single loop at the distal flexible end of the catheter. This loop is much larger than the hole through which the catheter is inserted and is thereby retained in the cavity. Although forming of a single loop at the end of the catheter has been shown effective in use, it is still subject to dislodging by movement of the patient, as the patient gets in and out of bed or as the patient rolls over while sleeping. The catheter can also get pulled out during dressing changes by a nurse or when the patient is getting ready and it gets caught on something and pulled out. Of course, dislodging of the catheter is an unacceptable situation. First, the catheter is not functioning properly and can affect the well-being of the patient. Such a situation may lead to a persistence of excess fluid or an infection within the patient. And the patient must undergo another catheterization.
Thus, the need exists for a catheter which allows for imparting additional loops within the body cavity to further enhance its ability to stay within the cavity as the patient receives care and moves about.
It is thus an object of the present invention to provide a double- or multiple-loop catheter.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a catheter, as above, which includes a hub with an elongated hollow tubular member extending therefrom, wherein the tubular member is inserted into the cavity to be drained or into which medication is to be deposited.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a catheter, as above, which includes a thread that extends through the hollow tubular member for coiling a distal end of the catheter.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a catheter, as above, in which the thread is secured at one of its ends to the hub and whereupon the thread extends the length of the hollow tubular member and then exits and enters a series of holes at the distal end of the tubular member and then returns and exits out the hub to provide a thread pulling end.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a catheter, as above, in which the distal end of the tubular member has a loop coil portion with a series of holes extending therethrough. These series of holes include: a loop hole at the furthest end of the tube and extending through the single wall of the tubular member; a transition hole extending through opposite walls of the tubular member, somewhat closer to the hub end; and an end hole extending through just one wall of the tubular member, even closer to the hub member. The thread, after extending the length of the tubular member, exits the loop hole and then enters and exits through the transition hole and re-enters the tubular member at the end hole.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a catheter, as above, in which a pulling force applied to the thread causes the distal end to form a first loop and then a second loop once the thread is pulled through the transition hole and the end hole.
It is still a further object of the present invention to provide a catheter, as above, wherein the loop hole, the transition holes, and the end hole are aligned with one another when the loops are fully formed. The hub provides a pivotable locking device to hold the thread in place so that the loops stay formed through its intended use. It is a further object of the present invention to allow for releasing of the pivotable locking member so that the loops relax and allow extraction of the catheter.
The foregoing and other objects of the present invention, which shall become apparent as the detailed description proceeds, are achieved by a catheter, comprising an elongated tubular member having a proximal end opposite a distal end, the distal end having a loop hole, at least one transition hole, and an end hole, and a thread having one end fixed at the proximal end, the thread extending through the tubular member and out from the loop hole, the thread extending through the transition hole and re-entering the tubular member at the end hole, the thread having a pulling end exiting the tubular member at the proximal end, wherein application of a pulling force on the pulling end causes the distal end to form a first loop from the loop hole to the transition hole and a second loop from the transition hole to the end hole.
It is an additional object of the present invention to a multi-loop catheter comprising a hollow tubular member having a proximal end opposite a distal end, the hollow tubular member preformed into a multiple-loop configuration, such that after insertion into a cavity, the tubular member substantially returns to its preformed shape.
These and other objects of the present invention, as well as the advantages thereof over existing prior art forms, which will become apparent from the description to follow, are accomplished by the improvements hereinafter described and claimed. In general, a catheter made in accordance with the present invention includes an elongated tubular member having a proximal end opposite a distal end. The distal end has a loop hole, at least one transition hole, and an end hole extending transversely therethrough. A thread having one end fixed at the proximal end extends through the tubular member and out from the loop hole and then enters into the transition hole and therethrough and then re-enters the tubular member at the end hole. The thread has a pulling end exiting the tubular member at the proximal end. A hub, which has a channel therethrough, is coupled to the proximal end of the tubular member. Application of a pulling force on the pulling end causes the distal end of the catheter to form a first loop from the loop hole to the transition hole and then a second loop from the transition hole to the end hole. These loops stay formed when the thread is held in place.
In accordance with other aspects of the present invention, the catheter provides drainage/infusion ports between the distal end and the end hole. Additionally, the hub has a pivotable locking member coupled thereto, wherein the locking member secures the pulling end of the thread to the hub after the thread is fully pulled.
A preferred catheter, incorporating the concepts of the present invention, is shown by way of example in the accompanying drawings without attempting to show all the various forms and modifications in which the invention might be embodied, the invention being measured by the appended claims and not by the details of the specification.